Locking restrictor for dispensing valves



March 8, 1955 J. w. SOFFER ET AL 2,703,665

LOCKING RESTRICTOR FOR DISPENSING VALVES Filed Dec. 11, 1950 l8 I I II w w l6 .6 20 g g 25 1 25 3.

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INVENTORJ'. JACK W. SOFFER & JOHN TEDALDI HAW ATTORNEYS United States Patent; Oflice 7 3 6 LOCKING RESIRICTOR FOR DlSPENSING VALVES Application December 11, 1950, Serial No. 200,174

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-.-394) This invention relates in general to restrictor members for dispensing valves and, more particularly, to certain new and useful improvements in means for locking and permitting limited opening movement of valves operated by tilting to the application of laterally directed pressure thereon, such valves being of the type disclosed in the co-pending; application of Aaron S. Lapin, Serial No. 90,807, filed May 2, 1949, for Dispensing Containers.

it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a locking restrictor for the valve of such a dis pensing container which serves to prevent the inadvertent discharge of the contents of the container when in locked position, and which in open position serves as a restrictor to limit the degree of tiltingthereof; Such limitation of the degree of tilt is desirable in containers and valves of the type referred to which, being gas charged, might otherwise be inadvertently subjected to excessive valve opening and the consequent discharge of the container contents at too rapid a rate. A collateral eifect of such too rapid discharge is in some cases a leakage of the container contents induced by excessive distortion of the sealing means employed.

It is then a secondary object of the present invention to provide a restrictor member to limit the rate of flow and to prevent leakage of the container contents by interposing an obstacle to the tilt of the dispensing: valve.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a restrictor which permits the ready selection of two degrees of restriction, under the first of which the valve is restricted entirely from tilting whereas under the second the valve is restricted from tilting beyond a preselected degree.

A further Obj ct of 1)? present invention is, to provide a restrictor member which is readily applied to the stem of the dispensing valve of such container but incorporates means for inhibiting itsremoval,

An additiona bje t o he P s n invention is o Pr e su h restr ot r member t lot o groove means for idin t on a p e ete min d path p t n t a y application and its ready manipulation from locked. to open position.

It is a still further object of the. present invention to achieve the foregoing O jects, inexpensively and simply, and with the advantages of ready manufacture and assembly.

With the above and other objects in view, our invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dispensing valve incorporating a restrictor, together with a segment'of the dispensing container to which same is attached;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken, along line 2 --2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the restrictor member shown in- Figure 1;- and Figure 4 is a side elevational view illustrating the structure shown in Figure l with the restrictor in open posit-ion and the valve tilted.

Referring now by reference characters to the drawings whi h lust a e a pr fer mb d me f th pr s n as po th a pr su t n, t e co ain invention, there is ut lized a, container 1 of the type disclosed in the aforementioned co-pending application which is adapted to discharge its contents, such as whipped cream, lathered soap, and the like, under gas pressure.

Patented Mar. 8, 1955 Sold conta er. 1 nclu e a he l; Po on disposed sously thin h ch an downwar ly h ho p r m in h reo i a co e plate 3 integrally h vin an. u s aus 'h r eral flan e 4 n t ht s rfeoe ise buuu t s rus he nn r a jac nt fastor the neck 2. whi h s ou thruss at i s. upp r e d fo o rla pin en a e ent with the o rsspohdi s ma in o the he ls 2 o. lo p a pre esh join des na ed i co e p ate 3 i eu r ,ly pierced a d flanged, op oy d per ure 6 ci c msc ibed b a elat v y short upstand rim 7 Proje n throu theap r uro h a. a member or rommet 8;.fa r satr ut; uour ast r a such a a d prbfe ably o e... y thet c u ber, a d having an xial o v 9 hi s oun er-bor d: at lowe nd. as at T pwar ly mol st n sle e Por iou 11 o he omm 8 is n u h! engagement with the inner surface of the rim 7. The porn of ho rommet imm d ely be a he v oyer plate 3 is enlarged, as at 12 for engagement with subontial y t en re nder ac of th cover plate 3 o form a positive seal about the aperture 6, and peripherally tapers downwardly to providea relatively thin, flexible e l es 3 a ou he. ou r ma in, o h enl er s 12v n o p o ide t t lo r e d a s t 14 or the head 15 of a valve member 16. Said valve member .6 is prefe ably mo of herm p a material. d mbodie ubular t .7 hic Pr jec s up d y through the axial bore 9 of the grommet8, distends the sleeve po t on 1 of said rommet b n nnu a sho der 17, and extends beyond said sleeve portion 11 to te n n a lo ed di ch r d 8 forming a cons o o t p In ts bo om port on, mm a y s per J's-ce e ea e al e 6 i p ovi ed th a Pluality of rad a y pre en d r fi s 9 hich permit s u munication between the bore of the stem 17 and the o nt rre 1. of t e r mm lu pe t on, h appl a o o a e l oi t d r e upon the valve stem 17 will cause the same to be tilted through resil en y o h r m t hereb uu a n the ead 15 f t e alv to permi t e contents f the ta er to e di cha e nde t e nternal g p sure into the orifices 19, thence through the valve stern 1' and ut h dissharss en 18- Upo re a e f the applied force, the valve'lo will retnrn' to vertical, closed po tion y he e a ici y of the omm 8- he a of ho o e on r o t e c n ainer 1 outward through the valve stem 17 depends upon the degree of tilt to which said stem 17 is subjected, as well Inas? m ch a h e t s uc u is es gn to e ope ated by the p e su of a fin r, and it is no d ir b e ha oo u h a te t n be equi ed o h degr e of tin it s, pp rent tha ere is a h l d o an oc s o al t o he al em yo d h e e equired o desired fo di pens n h con a ne n e I s obvious that one result will be a toov rapid discharge of e c nt ne ont n asmu h a u e cessi e ltg iu lves. i tor of h ro m 3, there may be a certain degree of leakage around said grommet particularly between it and the'outer side ofthe valve stem 17. Distending the grommet sleeve 11 by means of the annu= ar shoulder 1 o he. a e t m, t a p i utward of the upstanding rim 7 of the cover plate 3 inhibits such leakage. However, it has been found desirable to proi e e ternal mea s for Po t ely r t c n e deg e of tilt of the valve stem 17. Consequently, the external restrictor, which is the subject of the present invention, has been added and will now be described in its relation to the valve stern 17. Referring to Figure 2, molded integrally with the valve member 16 so as toprotrude radiale ly outward from the side walls of tis stem 17 are two oppositely disposed guide pins 20, of such length as to permit their passage through the aperture 6. in the container cover plate 3. 'As will'be shown, these guide pins need not be long and are preferably of minimum lengthv to bear upon the restrictor member, hereafter described, being restricted in length so as to permit easy stretching and passage over them of the grommet 8 on assembly of the structure.

Adapted for engagement with said guidepins 2 0 arethe guide slots 21 molded into the upper axially bored portion 22 of the thimble-shaped restrictor member 23, from which depends an annular flared skirt 24. The restrictor member 23 is so called because its skirt portion 24 serves to restrict the tilting movement of the valve member 16 by abutting contact with the upper surface of the container cover plate 3 as illustrated in Figure 2, for the locked position, and Figure 4 for the open position. The restrictor member 23 may be fabricated of any suitable material, and is preferably molded from a thermoplastic material similar to that utilized in the valve member 16. For ease of manipulation, the restrictor member 23 is provided with two oppositely extending wings 25.

Each of the guide slots 21 serves functionally as a camming groove in the axially bored portion 22 of the restrictor member 23. It begins with an entrant slot portion 26 which arises from the bottom wall 27 of the axially bored portion 22 of the restrictor member 23 and within the skirt 24. Said guide slot 21 continues generally upward to reach a horizontal portion 28 equipped with a locking projection 29 adjacent the said entrant portion 26; and concludes with an operating slot portion 30 which extends generally downward from the horizontal slot portion 28. The width of the slot 21 in all of said portions is generally sufiicient to accommodate the guide pins 20 so as to permit their easy movement along the slot 21, except that the locking projection 29 narrows the horizontal slot portion 28 adjacent the entrant slot portion 26. Considerable force, attendant by elastic deflection of the material of the restrictor member 23, is necessary to cause the locking projections 29 to pass the guide pins 20.

The restrictor member 23 is assembled onto the valve 16 after its assembly within the cover plate 3 and the grommet 3, either before or after the container 1 is filled and gassed. The manner of assembly is to place the restrictor member 23 over the tip 18 of the valve stem 17 so that it penetrates the axially bored portion 22 of the restrictor member 23 and have the guide pins 21 engage the bottom wall 27 within the skirt 24. The restrictor 23 is then turned until the guide pins 20 enter the entrant portion 26 of the guide slot 21, and the restrictor 23 is thus permitted to be lowered until the pins 20 reach the horizontal slot portion 28, in which position the skirt 24 will abut the upper surface of the cover plate as shown in Figure 2. By the application of fairly considerable force such as is readily available in factories and assembly plants, the restrictor member 23 is then turned by means of its wings 25, so as to force the guide pins 20 past the locking projections 29 and into the position shown in Figure l which is the locked position.

If the container 1 has first been filled with gas, it may then be shipped with the restrictor member 23 in position, as shown in Figure 1, without fear of the inadvertent application of lateral force to the valve stem 17, as in such locked position the valve stem 17 cannot be tilted. When the container 1 is sold to the consumer, the consumer will operate the valve by first turning the restrictor 23, by means of its wings 25, so that the guide pins 20 pass along the horizontal slot portion 28 to its juncture with the operating slot portion 30. At this stage, if lateral force be applied to the valve stem 17, the restrictor 23 will move axially outwardly along the valve stem 17, whose outer cylindrical surface is coaxial with the bore 22 of the restrictor member 23, until the guide pins 20 engage the bottom ends of the operating slots 30, as shown in Figure 4. It is further noted from Figure 4 that the length of the operating slot portion 30 determines the degree of tilt which is possible; should said slot be lengthened, a greater degree of tilt would be possible than that shown in Figure 4. The desired limit of tilt will vary from one product to another, and can be readily determined by trial and error. However, it should be noted that the entrance slot 26 must in all cases be longer than the operating slot portion 30, or else the latter would penetrate the bottom wall 27.

Should the restrictor member 23 be assembled to the valve 16 prior to inserting gas into the container 1, the operating slot portion 30 serves the function of permitting the depression of the valve member 16 along its axis. Consequently, in such an opera! ion, the restrictor member is turned directly to the operating slot 30 when it is assembled, and is not returned to the locked position shown in Figure 1, wherein the guide pins 20 rest in the horizontal slot portion 28 immediately adjacent the locking pro jections '29 until after gassing.

While the pattern of the guide slots 21 shown in the drawings is a convenient one, variations are possible with- Cit out departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, it would be possible that a slot be employed which led first into a generally horizontal portion establishing an open position and thence upward to a higher generally horizontal portion establishing a locked, or entirely restricted, position. Slots such as the familiar bayonet slots might be employed, or other forms which will readily occur on consideration of the form illustrated. Further, it is apparent that the slots illustrated are, in effect, grooves within the axially bored portion 22 of the restrictor 23, and no function is served by their penetrating to the outside of the restrictor 23 other than ease of manufacture. To one skilled in the art of molding plastics, it will be readily apparent that the slots 21, as shown, are much more readily cored than internally formed grooves would be. Such grooves, however, would in no way depart from the present invention. In the claims which are attached, the word slot is intended to include and comprehend the word groove. Another obvious modification would be to reverse the pinand-groove relationship, molding the groove in the outer wall of the valve stem and utilizing pins projecting inward within the restrictor bore. Further, while the skirt 24 is shown to abut the cover plate 3 of the container 1, it is apparent that abutting engagement to any portion of the exterior of the container 1, or anything affixed thereto, would serve the function herein shown. For this reason, wherever the appended claims refer to abutment against the exterior of the container they are to be interpreted as applying to abutment against the container 1 itself, its cover plate 3, its upstanding peripheral flange 4, or any other member on the exterior of the container 1.

In the form described, the restrictor member 23, and the projecting guide pins on the valve stem 17 are inexpensively and readily formed and assembled with each other with a minimum of effort. The structure has proved to be readily operated and effectively serves to prevent the tilting of the valve stem 17 when the restrictor 23 is in locked position, and to inhibit its excessive tilting in open position, the manipulation between said open and said locked positions being readily accomplished.

It should be understood that changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement and combination of the several parts of the locking restrictor for dispensing valves may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of the present invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dispensing container incorporating a valve of the type having a protruding tubular stern adapted for opening such valve on being tilted, the improvement comprising a cylindrical bearing surface on the outer wall of said stern, a guide pin radially protruding therefrom, and a thimble-shaped restrictor member having a thickened cap portion and a skirt portion depending therefrom outward of said guide pin, the lower edge of said skirt portion being adapted to abut the container top, a central bore through said thickened cap portion for slidably engaging said bearing surface on such stem, and a guide slot in said thickened cap portion adjacent said bore for accommodating said guide pin, said guide slot having an entrant slot portion opening and leading generally upward from the lower margin of said cap portion within said skirt, whereby said restrictor may be passed over said guide pin until said skirt portion abuts such container, a generally horizontal slot portion connected to the upper end of said entrant slot portion and adapted to accommodate said guide pin during arcuate rotation of said restrictor member about said stem, and a tilt-limiting slot portion leading downward from said horizontal slot portion a length less than the length of said entrant slot portion, so constructed and arranged that when said tilt limiting slot portion is in registration with said guide pin, on lateral tilting of said valve the said restrictor member is urged outward along said stem by the bearing of said skirt portion against the container top until said guide pin stops against the lower end of said tilt limiting slot portion.

2. In a dispensing container incorporating a valve of the type having a protruding tubular stern adapted for opening such valve on being tilted, the improvement comprising a cylindrical bearing surface on the outer wall of said stem, a guide pin radially protruding therefrom, and a restrictor member having a thickened cap portion and a skirt portion depending therefrom outward of said guide pin, the lower edge of said skirt portion being adapted to abut the container top, a central bore through said thickened cap portion for slidably engaging said bearing surface on such stem, and a guide slot in said thickened cap portion adjacent said bore for accommodating said guide pin, said guide slot having an entrant slot portion opening and leading generally upward from the lower margin of said cap portion Within said skirt, a generally horizontal slot portion connected to the upper end of said entrant slot portion, and a tilt-limiting slot portion leading downwardly from said horizontal slot portion a length less than the length of said entrant slot portion.

3. In a dispensing container incorporating a valve of the type having a protruding tubular stem adapted for opening such valve on being tilted, the improvement comprising a cylindrical bearing surface on the outer Wall of such stem, a restrictor member having an annular body with a central cylindrical bore slightly larger than the diameter of the said bearing surface and adapted for rotation and sliding thereon, and having a substantially circular lower outer edge, together with key-and-keyway means whereby the level of the restrictor member with respect to such stem is established, the keyway thereof including a substantially horizontal twist-permitting first rteyway portion at such level as to hold the lower edge of the restrictor member downward against the top wall of such container and thus prevent tilting of the stem, and a second keyway portion connecting thereto and having somewhat vertical path and terminating in a keystop end, the said somewhat vertical path of said second keyway portion permitting the restrictor member to rise slidingly up the stern away from such container and the said key-stop end being at such level as to permit a predetermined degree of tilting of the stem before the said lower edge of the restrictor comes into stop-wise contact with such container wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 116,433 Glover June 27, 1871 529,221 Wagner Nov. 13, 1894 1,869,049 Card July 26, 1932 1,922,999 Williams Aug. 15, 1933 2,487,434 Geiss et a1. Nov. 8, 1949 2,506,449 Greenwood May 2, 1950 2,565,954 Dey Aug. 28, 1951 2,612,293 Michel Sept. 30, 1952 

